The cleantech startup ecosystem in Southeast Asia is rapidly evolving, driven by a growing awareness of environmental issues, supportive government policies, and increasing investment interest.

This region, characterised by its rich biodiversity and vulnerability to climate change, presents a fertile ground for innovation in clean technologies. Startups in this space focus on renewable energy, waste management, water conservation, and sustainable agriculture, among other areas.

The regional cleantech startup ecosystem also sees significant investment from VC investors and impact investors, who increasingly consider the space as viable investment opportunities driven by the global push towards sustainable development.

We have compiled below a list of 30 fast-growing cleantech startups from across Southeast Asia:

Umitron

It has developed AI and IoT-based aquaculture solutions for farms to optimise their feeding practices, lowering their costs and preventing waste and environmental damage. Its technology stack includes solar-powered IoT devices deployed on aquaculture farms in the ocean to film fishes and measure patterns in their behaviour using computer vision.
Through machine learning algorithms, the solution can detect when fish are hungry and automatically release feed for them. It also leverages satellite imagery to augment these insights by providing information about the sea’s temperature.

Founding year:	2016
Total funding raised:	US$0.4 million
Investors:	ENEOS Group, QB Capital, Toyo Seikan Kaisha, Shoko Chukin Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, Mirai Creation Fund, INCJ, D4V, IDEO, SMBC Trust Bank, NCB Venture Capital

VFlow Tech

VFlowTech is vanadium-based redox flow (VRF) battery company. It claims to have developed “the cheapest and most efficient modular VRF batteries”, which deliver long-lasting, reliable energy storage solutions for renewable integration at an affordable price. VRF battery works through the continuous reduction and oxidation reaction between the vanadium redox couples with no detrimental issues and with the cross-mixing of the redox couples. VFlowTech’s storage solution has an expected life span of 25 years and is safe and environmentally friendly battery technology.

Also Read: Global port operator PSA joins VFlowTech’s Series A extension round

Founding year:	2018
Total funding raised:	US$13 million
Investors:	PSA International, Real Tech Holdings, Sing Fuels, Pappas Capital, Carbon Zero Capital, İnci Holding, Wavemaker Impact, SEEDS Capital, Entrepreneur First, TK & Partners, STI

SensorFlow

SensorFlow develops room automation and energy management systems focussed on the hospitality sector. It provides its solution on a subscription-based model. The product is built on top of a proprietary network stack which helps automate a building using a single gateway resulting in complex installations readily optimizing energy consumption. Its product line includes occupancy sensors, smart thermostats, door sensors, and split unit thermostats.

Founding year:	2016
Total funding:	US$11.6 million
Investors:	Openspace Ventures, GAW Capital Partners, Aurum Land, Cocoon Capital, 2be.lu, InSitu, Entrepreneur First, Playfair Capital, SGInnovate, SparkLabs Global Ventures, Tigris Capital, Cub Capital, Xpanasia, Plug and Play APAC

Barramundi

It is a producer of fish using sustainable aquaculture farming solutions. The company uses a Biofloc farming solution and offers different fish along with by-products, such as the swim bladder, head, bone, and scale.

Founding year:	2008
Total funding:	US$11.2 million
Investors:	UOB, Oceanus, Commonwealth Capital Ventures, CRISTA Ministries, Louis Dreyfus Company, Far East Ventures, Southern Capital, WarifTech, AMBRA Solutions, Hammarviken Business Development, RCL Partners, Temasek Life Sciences Accelerator

Unravel Carbon

Unravel Carbon helps companies track and reduce their carbon emissions. An AI-powered decarbonisation platform, Unravel Carbon converts any company’s accounting data into full supply chain carbon data in seconds, provides detailed emissions analytics, generates climate solutions, and auto-populates regulatory disclosure reports.

Founding year:	2021
Total funding raised:	US$8.8 million
Investors:	Surge, Alpha JWC Ventures, XA Network, Rebel Fund, Global Founders Capital, Amasia, Y Combinator

AirCarbon

It provides a blockchain-based carbon credits trading exchange. The trading platform is easy to use, frictionless, and charges a low commission fee.

Founding year:	2019
Total funding raised:	US$70 million
Investors:	Trirec, Mubadala, Banpu, PJSC, Deutsche Borse Group, Hub71

Green Li-ion

It provides a battery recycling service. Its modular hardware solutions convert spent batteries into cathode and anode materials, creating a circular economy for lithium-ion batteries.

Also Read: Battery recycling startup Green Li-ion secures US$20.5M pre-Series B funding

Founding year:	2020
Total funding raised:	US$41 million
Investors:	Twin Towers Ventures, Banpu NEXT, Trirec, Equinor, EDP, Envisioning Partners, SOSV, ERV, Entrepreneur First, LINICO Corp, DPI Energy Ventures, MB Energy Partners, EDP Ventures, Ilshin, GS Holdings, Ilshin Holdings, LINICO, HAX, TES-AMM

Apeiron Bioenergy

Apeiron Bioenergy collects and processes a range of renewable feedstocks, including used cooking oil (UCO) and palm oil mill effluent (POME), and acts as a critical exporter across the Asian market.

Over the past 15 years, Apeiron has built its presence in over ten countries and collected more than 500 million litres of UCO between 2017 and 2021, offsetting an estimated 1.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions.

Founding year:	2007
Total funding raised:	US$37 million
Investors:	CGIF, ASEAN, Proterra Investment Partners, Mitsui Chemicals

Nutrition Technologies

The startup provides insect-based products for agriculture and livestock. It develops its product using black soldier fly larvae and recycles nutrients from agricultural and food processing by-products. Nutrition’s product offerings include insect-based organic fertilisers for agriculture, protein feed for livestock, and also oil.

Founding year:	2016
Total funding raised:	US$34 million
Investors:	Bunge, PTT, Openspace Ventures, Hera Capital, Sumitomo, ING Bank, Mandala Capital, SEEDS Capital, Enterprise Singapore, Nullabor, Neptune, Alpha Founders Capital, Primex Capital

bbp

bbp is an energy efficiency company that enables businesses to achieve their carbon neutrality and sustainability goals. It claims to enable companies to achieve up to 40 per cent of energy and cost savings using patented HVAC optimisation technologies, IoT, proprietary software algorithms, and machine learning.

At present, bbp serves customers across Southeast Asia, China, India and Taiwan. Its customers include semiconductor manufacturers, Fortune 500 companies and real estate companies.

Founding year:	2012
Total funding raised:	US$33 million
Investors:	KKR, Tembusu Partners, Boltzmann Consulting, K3 Ventures, Red Maple Leaf Biotechnology

BoomGrow

Kuala Lumpur-headquartered BoomGrow is an indoor farming company operating in the vertical farming and precision farming space. It grows fresh, clean, hyperlocal produce such as butterhead, romaine, kale, Swiss chard, basil, and mint. These are otherwise imported from cold countries.

Founding year:	2015
Total funding raised:	Undisclosed
Investors:	Gobi Partners’s Dana Impak Fund, Big Sky Capital, Arch Free Ventures

Also Read: BoomGrow: Transforming Malaysia’s food landscape with hyperlocal indoor farming

NLYTech Biotech

NLYTech Biotech is a biotechnology manufacturer that focuses on the development of the environmentally friendly solution in replacing single-use plastic products.

It focuses on the research and development of biodegradable products made with 100 per cent natural ingredients (without polymer content) to replace fossil-based single-use plastic and paper products.

Founding year:	2018
Total funding raised:	US$2.5 million
Investors:	Undisclosed

EcoWorth Tech

The company turns cellulosic waste biomass into carbon fibre aerogel (CFA), a patented advanced material mainly used on transforming wastewater streams into waste-to-worth opportunities. Made from natural and sustainable material, CFA has a competitive advantage in being low-cost and non-toxic, with an extremely high absorbency and affinity for liquid organics, and actively repels water.

Founding year:	2016
Total funding raised:	US$700K
Investors:	Undisclosed angels

TrinityEco

Started by three partners, TrinityEco is focused on helping SMEs and investors meet increasing ESG demands through fintech and regtech, which enhances companies’ profiles and processes.

Founding year:	2019
Total funding raised:	Undisclosed
Investors:	Undisclosed

Cosmos Innovation

Cosmos Innovation is an AI-first company building next-generation perovskite silicon tandem solar cell technology. It AI platform — Mobius — can discovering the combination of materials, processes, and architectures that yields the most efficient solar cells.

Founding year:	2019
Total funding raised:	Undisclosed
Investors:	Innovation Endeavors, Xora Innovation, Two Sigma Ventures, ENI Next, WTI, Shinrai Investments, Demis Hassabis, Tomaso Poggio, Richard Socher, Arun Varma Penmetsa

Tigasfera

It has developed EcoSfera, a containerised, on-site waste conversion system to produce on-demand energy and valuable byproducts. It can turn organic and inorganic waste into combustible synthesis gas (syngas) to generate electricity and bio-carbon for agriculture and power plants. The system employs cutting-edge gasification and pyrolysis technology, cleaner than conventional incinerators and diesel generators.

Also Read: EcoSfera helps turn your household waste into energy in the comfort of your home

Founding year:	2014
Total funding raised:	Undisclosed
Investors:	PETRONAS’s FutureTech 3.0

Solar AI

The startup seeks to make rooftop solar accessible and hassle-free for smaller, underserved property owners by providing them with zero upfront cost.

Its primary product is its RTO solar programme, which enables customers to own a solar panel system with zero upfront cost, paying a flat monthly fee for installation, maintenance, servicing, and energy generation guarantee.

Compared to the traditional solar offer that demands an upfront cost of US$15,000 to US$50,000, the startup’s RTO model helps de-risk solar as a renewable energy solution, particularly in Southeast Asia, with a penetration rate of less than 1 per cent.

Founding year:	2020
Total funding raised:	US$1.5 million
Investors:	Earth Venture Capital, Undivided Ventures, Investible, David Pardo

Trash Panda

Trash Panda (Circula Recoon Systems) is a digitised waste recovery solution for communities, businesses, institutions, and industries. It collects a wider range of segregated recoverable waste and funnels cashback to customers and clients from waste buyers who recycle the collected waste into new consumer products.

Founding year:	2020
Total funding raised:	Undisclosed
Investors:	Undisclosed

Nibertex

Nibertex has developed 100 per cent PFAS-free, waterproof, breathable membranes. It utilises advanced polymer sciences to create films completely free from PFAS chemicals. These membranes eliminate the use of these harmful chemicals, significantly reducing environmental pollution and potential health hazards associated with traditional waterproof textiles. They can achieve “superior performance” using safer, compliant chemicals while offering enhanced breathability and durability.

Founding year:	2020
Total funding raised:	Undisclosed
Investors:	Foxmont Capital Partners, a consortium of Southeast Asian families

Carbon Balance

The startup leverages technology to achieve a balance between business growth and sustainability while promoting awareness of climate change. Its reporting and online tools are accessible for e-commerce businesses of all sizes. The solution is customisable for various e-commerce platforms, easy to implement, and visible throughout the entire online customer journey.

Founding year:	2023
Total funding raised:	US$125,000
Investors:	Antler

Hydroleap

Hydroleap provides innovative, chemical-free, high-performance, and modularised electrochemical technologies to replace conventional chemical and energy-intensive processes.

Hydroleap’s two core electrochemical technologies are electrocoagulation (Hl-EC) and electrooxidation (HL-EO). These technologies effectively reduce up to 95 per cent of pollutants found in wastewater, thereby facilitating water upcycling across numerous industries.

Founding year:	2016
Total funding raised:	US$4.4 million
Investors:	Real Tech Holdings, Mitsubishi Electric, Seeds Capital, Wavemaker Partners, New Keynes Investments, the State Government of Victoria

Agros

The startup provides sustainable agriculture solutions for small and medium-sized horticulture farmers across Asia. The company is helping horticulture farmers to decarbonise, whilst doubling their profit through a full-stack solution.

Its first two products – Agrosolar and Agrosoil – are solving major agriculture problems like fuel dependency and soil degradation. After switching to Agros’ ecosystem, farmers can double their profits from reduced input costs, improved yields, and higher prices from better-quality crops.

Founding year:	2019
Total funding raised:	US$2.83 million
Investors:	Gaia Impact Fund, Wavemaker Partners

FlyORO

FlyORO is a provider of last-mile sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) blending technologies. Its modular, on-demand blending service of SAF and jet fuel enables aviation on its emissions reduction journey. It enables flyers the flexibility to align their ESG targets per flight. With a small form factor of 40ft, it is space-efficient and portable and can be installed anywhere at or off the airport base. This solution allows airport fuel operators to serve flyers more effectively with a simplified supply chain.

Also Read: FlyORO wants to decarbonise aviation with its last-mile sustainable fuel blending tech

Founding year:	2021
Total funding raised:	US$1.6 million
Investors:	Audacy Ventures, Investible, unnamed private investors

Protenga

Protenga has developed a next-generation Smart Insect Farm system. Harnessing the power of Black Soldier Flies with its production technology, Protenga produces sustainable and high-quality protein, oil and frass products for feed and fertiliser.

Founding year:	2018
Total funding raised:	US$2 million
Investors:	SEEDS Capital

Waste Labs

Waste Labs is an AI startup that enables recycling and circular supply chains by optimising waste collecting. The platform gives data-driven insights and prescriptive recommendations to waste managers, allowing them to create and operate efficient waste collection systems anywhere in the globe.

The platform combines waste-specific data and optimisation algorithms developed over more than a decade of research and development, and it may serve a variety of business and sustainability goals.

Founding year:	2020
Total funding raised:	US$500,000
Investors:	Entrepreneur First, Fund4SE, strategic angels

Nanotronics

Nanotronics is a deeptech startup producing advanced and sustainable nanomaterials for various industrial applications enabling key industries to create innovative and breakthrough solutions.

Founding year:	2014
Total funding raised:	US$280,000
Investors:	Undisclosed

Allium Bio

Allium Bio is combining the strengths of microalgae and mycelium in a novel co-culture fermentation method to create a new plant-based protein that grows faster, is significantly cheaper to harvest, and has unique functional properties (emulsification, binding, etc.). It has secured pilot projects with multiple plant-based meat customers across APAC, and partnerships with leading microalgae and mycelium research labs.

Founding year:	2022
Total funding raised:	US$150,000
Investors:	Better Bite Ventures

Gree Energy

Gree Energy makes biogas projects financially viable by unlocking the full potential of carbon crediting programmes, renewable energy and green finance. It creates scalable solutions by leveraging the power of the global sustainability economy to rethink how food industries treat their waste in emerging countries.

Founding year:	2013
Total funding raised:	US$3.55 million
Investors:	Earthcare Group, Water Unite Impact

WasteX

The startup provides an end-to-end solution to farms and agricultural producers, helping them utilise biomass waste by converting it into biochar and then applying it in their operations for operational, financial, and environmental benefits. Its mission extends beyond immediate benefits to farmers.

Also Read: WasteX nets funding to help farm producers convert biomass waste into biochar

At the centre of WasteX’s biochar technology is its proprietary small-scale and semi-automated carboniser equipped with a unique dual-action burner. WasteX utilises both biomass fuel and captured syngas produced during biomass pyrolysis, enhancing energy efficiency. Furthermore, by recapturing and reutilising syngas for heat generation used in biochar production, WasteX minimises the potential for methane.

Founding year:	2022
Total funding raised:	US$450,000
Investors:	P4G Partnerships

Nika.eco

Nika.eco uses artificial intelligence (AI) to create advanced climate models for determining carbon credit issuance. It tracks forest carbon, conducts deep dives into geospatial data and analyses additionality, baseline, leakage and permanence data. Carbon project investors and developers can use this data to develop nature-based projects and reach their net zero goals.

Founding year:	2022
Total funding raised:	Undisclosed
Investors:	Silverstrand Capital, Timbul Ventures, DMV Investments, Orvel Ventures, and Ascend Network

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Image Credit: 123RF.

 

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As a PR professional in the heart of Vietnam and Southeast Asia, I’ve witnessed countless tech startups struggle to be heard. As an entrepreneur myself, I saw this frustration firsthand, and I understand that in the ever-evolving realm of tech startups, capturing attention and earning the trust of your audience can make or break your ventures.

Beyond press releases: Unveiling the power of PR

But how can this official definition apply to tech startups? Quite simply, it means crafting a narrative that resonates with your target customers, investors, employees, the media, and the public using various PR tactics to tell the story behind your brand and your products.

PR is more than just issuing press releases or holding press conferences. PR itself is about building a message, spreading it out to the public, and connecting the relationships with your target audience. In the day-to-day running of my own company, Ivy+Partners, I endeavour to showcase that PR encompasses a broad spectrum of activities.

From media interviews and influencer collaborations to launch events and community engagement initiatives, Ivy+Partners encompasses a diverse array of strategic endeavours aimed at fostering meaningful connections and communication.

I’ve heard many startup founders say that they want to “invest in building up the product first and spend money on PR and Marketing later” or “prioritise Marketing over PR because PR can not convert to sales.” But is this right?

Investing in PR shouldn’t be optional; it’s a necessity to carve a niche in the market. PR is a powerful tool that drives growth by enhancing brand visibility and fostering customer trust, which is essential for converting interest into loyal customers.

A positive and resilient brand image, cultivated through consistent PR efforts, acts as a buffer during crises, helping you manage setbacks effectively. Additionally, PR builds strong relationships with media and influencers, amplifying your reach and influence within relevant circles.

Also Read: PR’s unchanging essence: Human connections amidst AI and automation

PR myths debunked

Despite the undeniable advantages of engaging in PR activities, PR often falls prey to misconceptions that can deter tech startups from utilizing their full potential. Here are some of these myths, along with the truths behind them:

PR is only for big businesses and celebrities?

In fact, PR can be beneficial for startups at all stages, from pre-launch, launch, funding round, maturity — it can help you to:

• Build the right communication strategy for your product that can set you apart from competitors
• Connect, build, and manage your reputation as well as the relationship with key players such as investors, stakeholders, and partners.
• Build your employer branding that showcases your company culture and values, attracting top talent and fostering employee loyalty.
• Reach your community your target audience, and connect with them on an emotional level, creating a sense of brand loyalty and positive brand sentiment.
• Build brand awareness and a positive public image that increases recognition and trust over time.
• Prevent and solve the crisis.

By implementing a well-rounded PR and communications strategy, startups can achieve significant benefits in fundraising, recruiting, sales, and overall marketing efforts. It’s a strategic investment that pays off in the long run.

PR is the same as Marketing?

While PR and Marketing are different, they both support each other. Siloed PR and marketing efforts are a thing of the past. PR helps to build brand awareness and foster positive relationships, while marketing focuses on driving sales and lead generation. However, true success lies in the synergy between these two disciplines. This collaborative approach forms the foundation of Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC).

PR is expensive?

Budget is important, but it is not the deciding factor in the success of a PR campaign. Building the right story and choosing the right channels will help you do that. If you wanna do a budget-wise PR campaign, you can focus on leveraging all your own and earned media channels before thinking of paying media.

Your own and earned channels could be your company website and social media, your employees’ word of mouth or their social media channels, your partners, investors and stakeholder’s network, your media friends, and even your customers…

In conclusion, every startup needs PR at some point. The earlier you start, the better it is. Cause PR is a marathon, not a sprint run. You should be ready before you need it or it will be too late. And at the end of the day, PR thrives on a two-way street. Sometimes, you might not have complete control over the final public message, but you should know that’s the beauty of organic and authentic communication.

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Singapore’s work culture is globally known for its long hours, high pressure, and intensely competitive environment. Workers in the city-state regularly clock in 43-hour weeks, with unpaid overtime being a norm for many. However, this 60-year-old work tradition may be about to experience a dramatic shift.

Starting in December 2024, all employers will be required to have a formal process for employees to request flexible work arrangements. Employers must respond to these requests within two months, providing valid business reasons if they reject a request. This initiative aims to support a tight labour market and an ageing workforce, making it easier for caregivers and seniors to remain in the workforce.

These newly announced guidelines mean Singapore’s workers can request four-day work weeks, more work-from-home days, staggered work times, and flexible locations. The announcement mirrors measures by other governments relaxing employment arrangements to retain talent, such as the UK’s Flexible Working Bill and Australia’s ‘right to disconnect.’

Numerous global studies have revealed the benefits of shorter work weeks, namely four-day work weeks, for both productivity and employees’ well-being. The business world is increasingly embracing the ethos of work quality over work quantity, giving leaders a clear impetus to embrace more flexible and agile hiring models.

Our Talent-on-Demand report recently uncovered how these new models are being implemented across Southeast Asia (SEA). Regional business leaders reported scaling down fixed-cost and capability models in favour of flexible hiring and variable costs.

As such, the demand for highly skilled freelance talent across SEA has grown by 85% since last year. This trend is driven by the aforementioned factors and talent’s desire for a work-life balance that fits their personal needs.

Amid economic changes and advancements in technology, the worldwide flexible workspace market could exceed between US$35 million and US$50 million by 2030, reflecting the growing demand for flexible and agile work environments. Thus, the flexibility offered by adaptable workforce models will no longer be just a benefit but an expectation.

Autonomy through flexibility

Flexible working hours, or flexitime, is a work arrangement that allows employees to determine their work schedules with their employer rather than adhering to a strict nine-to-five schedule. Flexitime has become increasingly popular in modern workplaces, especially among working parents and younger professionals, who may have more individualised lifestyles and a fresh attitude toward their careers.

Also Read: Rethinking remote work: The engagement issue at the heart of work-from-home

From a hiring perspective, flexible working arrangements are a significant opportunity to attract new talent. Young talent may want the chance to work overseas temporarily or full-time, devote more time to personal growth and hobbies, and feel empowered by their company’s trust in them to set their own schedule. Flexible work is proven to bring increased job satisfaction and work-life balance, which lowers employee absenteeism, increases commitment, and reduces turnover.

For skilled freelance and independent consultants, flexible work presents a significant opportunity to gain work and experience with various organisations. Skilled freelancers value their independence, freedom of choice, and the chance to experience different company cultures. They have the autonomy to manage their personal needs and work life, choosing projects that fit their specific requirements.

The rise of independent talent aligns with organisations’ increasing pivots toward agile and flexible hiring models. Companies can tap independent professionals for their specialised skills to complete specific projects. Once the new capability has been implemented, both the employer and freelancer can move on to explore their next opportunity.

The right model

As Singapore’s flexible work arrangement (FWA) guidelines roll out, the next step for business leaders and human resources will be to determine which models best align with their operations. One popular option is a hybrid work arrangement that blends remote and in-office work.

The freeform hybrid model specifies a set number of required in-office days but allows employees to choose which days they come in. Alternatively, businesses may opt for an anchor model, which designates the required in-office days or weeks.

Spurred by these trends, businesses will be more likely to adopt compressed work weeks, flexitime, and reduced hours or part-time roles to offer greater schedule flexibility. These approaches help organisations expand their talent pool and promote work-life balance. As a result, they may see reduced overhead costs, lower turnover rates, a broader talent pool, and increased productivity and satisfaction.

With Singapore leading the way, the traditional nine-to-five model may soon be a thing of the past in Southeast Asia. Organisations need to evolve from previous rigid mindsets to retain a new generation of talent and stay competitive. The Singaporean Government has set the flexitime guidelines; now, businesses must make it the norm.

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Beep, an IoT company that provides interoperable charging networks for businesses and drivers in Singapore, has closed its US$3.3 million pre-Series A investment.

The round was led by existing investors Granite Asia (formerly GGV Capital), Farquhar VC, SUTD Venture Holdings, and Wing Vasiksiri, with participation from M7 Ace Neo, an M7 Company.

The startup will use the funds to accelerate its expansion in Thailand and Malaysia.

Also Read: Beep launches SEA’s largest eRoaming network with its seed funding round

Launched in 2018, Beep owns and operates Voltality, an integrated ecosystem of charging stations, payment services, and vehicles.

In June 2022, it launched an electric vehicle (EV) e-roaming network spanning over 1350 charge points with 11 operators in Singapore. As of 2024, Beep has partnered with operators with over 5,000 charging stations.

According to the startup, there is a massive demand for EVs in Southeast Asia, with total EV sales in the region experiencing 894 per cent year-on-year growth. The first expansion phase focuses on extending Voltality’s charging network in Thailand and Malaysia. The platform is live with its first partners in Malaysia and will launch in Thailand in Q3 2024.

In Thailand, Voltality has signed contracts with leading charging operators Sharge and Evolt together with WHA Group, a developer of fully integrated logistics, industrial estates, power and utilities and digital solutions, and EV rental and purchasing platform EVme. The agreement will enable connectivity for several thousand vehicles to over 1,600 charge points locally.

In Malaysia, contracts have been signed with several charging operators, including KINETA, a major player in the EV space, and ChargEV to accelerate EV charging and roaming innovation.

Voltality has also secured contracts with mobility partners to enable local and cross-border charging connectivity within H2, 2024.

Beep is also exploring expanding to other regional markets such as Indonesia, Vietnam and more for its second phase in 2025. To help navigate its continued regional expansion, Ming Maa, ex-Grab Group President, will also join Beep as an advisor, bringing significant operational expertise in market development and partnerships within Southeast Asia’s complex landscape.

Also Read: The future of car-sharing industry will be shaped by trends like EVs, autonomous vehicles: SOCAR CEO

On the commercial front, Voltality recently signed an MOU with Grab to collaborate on increasing the number of charging operators onboarded onto the network, and to support building an integrated charging platform for its driver-partners in the region. An initial closed-door pilot has also started with select driver-partners in Singapore.

Voltality signed an MOU with Huawei Consumer Cloud Service on the consumer front. This will improve the data on charging station locations when using Huawei’s Petal Maps and ‘Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) for Car’ across Southeast Asia. As a result, EV drivers using Petal Maps and HMS will receive a more accurate “smart” journey planner based on their EV’s battery life.

In 2023, Beep became one of the startups that won the Petronas FutureTech 3.0 accelerator programme.

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Image Credit: Beep.

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Decarbonising real estate is about more than aggregated data — it’s about targeting individual assets. A recently released whitepaper between BuildingMinds and GRESB reveals how granular data will mean greater sustainability and how focusing on individual assets has the greatest potential for improvement. Here we will delve into how a data-driven approach can optimise decarbonisation and help meet long-term ESG goals.

Boosting eco-credentials in real estate presents an array of opportunities with the easiest wins often found in the low-hanging fruit. But while the aggregated performance data of asset portfolios is a critical resource for investors looking to meet ESG goals, it is not remotely sufficient for meaningful portfolio decarbonisation. A typical office, industrial or retail portfolio average will mask the small number of high-consumption-intensity assets that can offer the greatest potential for overall improvement.

The value of granular data

A recently published whitepaper between BuildingMinds and GRESB is therefore destined to help the sector understand how delving into the granular data can be used to better inform sustainability initiatives. Boasting the world’s most comprehensive database of energy and greenhouse gas intensities of real estate assets, GRESB enables portfolio managers to more accurately compare their individual assets with others, while allowing investors to better study the performance of portfolios with diverse asset types and geographies.

Basing planning decisions on data collected from individual assets is crucial.

Actions such as fabric retrofits, eliminating on-site combustion, and on-site renewables and storage can only be optimised and tracked when asset-level performance data is available, allowing decarbonisation plans to become sufficiently granular and organised.

Also Read: Climate champions in the making: Meet Southeast Asia’s 30 rising starsin cleantech

This strategic use of asset-level data ensures that data collection efforts are focused where they will provide the most valuable insights, optimising resource allocation for informed decision-making. Rather than expecting initiatives to be somehow spread evenly across assets, with each progressing at the same pace towards an operational performance target, making the correct choice of interventions and the assets to which they’re applied – i.e. seizing the low-hanging fruit – will have the greatest impact on the achievement of long-term decarbonisation goals.

To demonstrate this, GRESB undertook a thought experiment using anonymised samples from its database. Taking the 15th percentile of energy use intensity (EUI) as the threshold for ‘currently green’ and the 85th percentile as the border of ‘currently brown’, nine pairs of synthetic portfolios were created, each consisting of 50 brown or green office, industrial or retail assets drawn from the entire spectrum of performance in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Each asset was then upgraded to a higher performance level at a similar financial investment: to the 5th percentile for already-green assets (20 kWh/m2) and to the median performance (140 kWh/m2) for brown assets.

The results: brown-to-green investment

In terms of absolute reductions in carbon, the difference was huge. The brown-to-green investment strategy resulted in a 10-to-30-fold greater reduction in energy consumption than was realised by improving already-green assets. In other words, focusing on improving high-consumption assets from otherwise average portfolios in any region has a much larger impact than investing in already-green assets from the same portfolio.

The logical culmination of using asset-level data to make real-world decisions about capital allocation is ESG-driven optimisation, perhaps using data-driven approximations. When sufficient data is available, for example, assets can be ranked in priority for intervention, and the evolution of their performance tracked over time relative to the market and other assets. Using multiple variables such as EUI, GHG intensity, and water and waste intensity makes it possible to interrogate assets and decarbonisation plans according to their impact on several metrics relevant to people and the environment.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that to meet global net-zero goals by 2050, US$573 billion will need to be invested in the energy efficiency of buildings in the rest of this decade alone. The time will no doubt come when the marginal gains concept has to be adopted to further enhance the highest-performing assets as a way of finally achieving that target. Until then, a granular approach targeting the assets that offer an easy win with the minimum outlay is definitely the route to success. 

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